You're the Crown Prince?
by sazza-da-vampire
Summary: Family Matters. Legolas invites Aragorn and Gimli home to Eryn Lasgalen to observe the Warrior's Trials, a once-in-a-lifetime experience for young Elves. Gimli and Aragorn thought they knew their Elvish friend inside and out after seventy years of friendship. They were wrong. Set 70 years after the War of the Ring.


Disclaimer: I own nothing recognisable.

You're the Crown Prince?

"Prince Legolas of Ithilien!" The herald announced, and Legolas entered the Hall of the King.

"King Ellessar," Legolas greeted his dear friend in the fashion of the Men of Gondor, with a stately bow. "I come before you to invite you to a joyous occasion among the Elves of Middle-Earth."

Aragorn stood, and greeted his old friend with a hug, while Faramir, Eowyn, Arwen and a number of Gondorians looked on. "What is this joyous occasion, my friend?" Aragorn asked, leading Legolas to a bench at the side of the hall.

"The Warrior's Trials. This twelve-year, they are being held in Eryn Lasgalen. At this time Ithilien is also to become truly independent of its mother-nation. Those of your choosing who wish to attend are also welcome."

"I would be delighted to attend, Legolas," Aragorn answered with a smile. He had never seen a Warrior's Trial before, and knew only that it was an event of great importance to young elves throughout Middle Earth.

Legolas smiled.

Arwen sat beside Legolas, and asked softly, "This is the year your nephew takes the Trials, is it not?"

"Yes, it is," Legolas agreed. "We have not had a Trial in many years, for we have had no youths to take them in all the realms. Andunëthon proved himself as a warrior during the War of the Ring, at an age when, throughout history, other young Elves were still confined to the training field for their own safety."

"I wish it had not been necessary," Arwen stated sadly, acknowledging the danger the young ellon had been put in during the Ring War.

"As do all in Eryn Lasgalen," Legolas responded.

"When are the Trials being held?" Aragorn asked, bringing the conversation back around, and pulling his dear Elvish friend and wife out of their melancholy.

Legolas provided him with the details, and Aragorn promised to have a final tally of Gondorian guards drawn up within a week.

A month later, Legolas and his Elves met up with Aragorn and his detachment of guards and nobles. Gimli the dwarf came with them.

When the group entered the eaves of Eryn Lasgalen, there was a noticeable change in the demeanour of the Elves. Legolas, Aldanna, Brethilríl and Brethildíl relaxed, and laughed gaily, and often sent trilling calls into the forest, mimicking the birdsong with joyful voices. Gilloth and Melloth, returning home after visiting their uncle in Ithilien, left their horses to run through the trees, and soon were joined by Brethildíl and Brethilríl. Coirëllach and Nimlos also took to the trees, leaving Legolas and Aldanna each with four horses to manage.

To the Men's surprise, the two remaining Elves merely took the reins of four horses each in hand, and with soft words guided the horses to stand in teams. Legolas stood on the two saddled horses of his group, one foot on each saddle, with Arod and another unsaddled horse lined up in front.

Aragorn was shocked to find that Aldanna organised her own horses in the same manner, standing high atop the backs of the last two horses. Gimli, meanwhile, perched on the back of Aragorn's horse, Roheryn.

Legolas set the pace for the group, and the Men watched in awe as the trees seemed to lift their branches high over the heads of the two stunt riders. Arwen had heard of this behaviour before, but had never seen it – neither the moving trees nor the teams of horses.

They rode on, up the Elf Path, the elves alternating between riding and running the canopy, for a number of days. They came to a dark stream partway through the journey, which Legolas gravely warned them not to drink of.

"The Enchanted River is what you might call 'Elf magic'," Gilloth explained. "In the forest, we never had the protection afforded by a Ring, like Imladris or Lothlorien, so we had to rely on our own defences. Radagast kindly spelled this stream, and our great Gates, to help protect us from the Enemy."

"How does a stream protect you?" Boron, one of Aragorn's guards asked curiously.

Melloth dropped from the canopy to answer in her identical sister's stead. "Many dark creatures are afraid of water. They will not cross it. Those who try end up fast asleep, and often drown in peace."

"How do we cross it?" Boron asked, looking doubtfully at the horses, and the almost interconnecting branches over the span of dark water.

"With rope bridges. Watch," Melloth pointed up, and the Men gasped as they saw a dark figure – an Elf in the green of Ithilien – take a running leap through the trees and across to the other side. A second figure soon followed.

Someone whistled from the opposite bank, and then a third Elf leapt the gap in the trees.

Gilloth and Melloth took a coil of rope each, and took a stance at the edge of the river. Legolas joined his nieces, with his own coil of rope.

On the other side, Coirëllach, Nimlos and Aldanna emerged from the darkness.

On some silent signal, the twins and Legolas threw their ropes across the water, and the three elves on the other side caught them flawlessly, securing them around trees. Three more ropes followed, and then a strange tangle of ropes and leather was extracted from a hollowed out bole of a great tree nearby, and suspended from the head-high ropes.

Aldanna and Nimlos quickly and efficiently assembled the contraption, hanging it securely from three of the ropes. Coirëllach formed a loop with a shorter rope, and hooked it securely to a fourth line spanning the water, before leaping onto an unattached line and lightly running across, bringing both contraptions with him.

"Lady Awen," Legolas asked the gentle Queen, "would you prefer to run the rope or to take the glider?"

Arwen smiled graciously. "I should like to take the glider, thank you, Legolas," she answered, carefully climbing in to sit in the loop of rope Coirëllach had brought. Legolas gave her a push to get started, and soon Arwen was safely in Nimlos' arms.

Aldanna brought the sling back for another passenger. Gimli opted to get it over and done with.

The larger contraption of ropes and leather turned out to be a harness for the horses. Gilloth and Melloth carefully walked upon the two unattached ropes while they drew each Elvish horse across the river, and soon after had Arod and Roheryn safely on the eastern side.

Boron's horse crossed at the same time as Boron himself, and the guard tried to convince himself that this was a good idea. Before he knew it, he was safely on dry land, and the harness and sling were being dragged back for another guard and his horse.

Little else of excitement occurred during the rest of the trip up the Elf path. Aragorn and Arwen led the group, while Legolas and Aldanna took their teams of horses ahead for a run. Soon the Men were stopped by a patrol of stern-faced Elvish warriors who dropped from the treetops before them with no warning.

One pointed an arrow at Boron's heart. Another raised a great spear at Caranmir. One levelled a great broadsword at Aragorn's throat. Another placed a single knife before Arwen's nose. Gimli squeaked and twitched, as if a weapon were poking his back.

Aragorn immediately began speaking in Sindarin, explaining who he was, and what they were doing in Eryn Lasgalen, and finally the weapons were lowered. Another elf dropped from the branches, shaking his head at his fellows. This one seemed somehow nobler, in face or demeanour, and Boron had the distinct impression that this elf was travelling with someone else's warriors.

"I am Tingallos," the one with the bow said in lilting Westron. "These are Belegcú, Celeborn, Celebglín, Aglarmoth, Malthon, and Neldororn. We are returning from East Lorien. We will join you."

Aragorn graciously accepted the offer of guidance, veiled as it was, and the one with the knife, Celebglín, explained that Legolas and Aldanna had passed them long before, galloping towards to keep.

Aragorn soon realised that Malthon's familiar presence was because he was Aldanna's father, and soon struck up a conversation comparing the antics of their daughters, for Aragorn's youngest little girl had just turned fifteen and was rebellious, much like Aldanna had been for the past two hundred years or so.

Soon, Thranduil welcomed them to his Halls, and they were all given rooms to spend the night in. Two days later, Aragorn, Arwen and Legolas joined the Council of the Eldar, discussing the business of the realms with not only Thranduil and Aldariel, but also Celeborn, and even Elladan and Elrohir.

Two days later, the Trials began.

There was only one contestant of an age to attempt the full Trials, but a number of older Elves competed just for fun.

Andunëthon progressed through the archery tasks quickly, and scored an almost perfect score of ninety-two, to great applause. Legolas was put through the embarrassment of being reminded about his own perfect score, a long year ago, and Aldanna was lauded as the only other equal in the realm at her own Second Coming of Age.

A strange wooden board and a bar were set up, and Andunëthon succeeded in reaching a jump height of twelve feet, and the gathered crowd cheered. Few had achieved such a feat at their own Trials, and Celeborn claimed that to find such power in one not from Lothlorien, the only people who habitually used such a skill, was astonishing.

A slightly older elf joined against Andunëthon to do what appeared to Boron to be a tug-of-war game. Great cheers rose as the older elf, Encalion, was pulled into the dirt by the younger ellon.

The sprinting event was traditionally scored by place, and so an Elf who had scored each place in his or her own Trials ran against Andunëthon. He came in third, behind the surprisingly quick Aldanna and Lauruial.

Ten warriors were then pitched against Andunëthon in the melee, with wooden inked blades. Legolas had great fun slashing at his friends and family, and managed to escape with little ink on his person. Gilloth and Encalion weren't so lucky, for Melloth had played dirty and tripped them both up, providing two easy targets. Andunëthon was awarded first place, and he smugly wiped excess ink off his elders' faces as they stared, dumbstruck, at how unscathed he had stayed.

When the wooden swords came out, Andunëthon absolutely shone. He mercilessly beat his older opponents, with a feral gleam in his eyes. Legolas remembered that Andunëthon had fought in the Ring War, long before he should have been exposed to blood and death, with a broadsword, to great effect.

Andunëthin lost miserably his first two wrestling matches, for his opponents were much larger and more muscular than himself, but he flattened Lauruial, to everyone's surprise, for Lauruial herself had won each wrestling match in her own Trials. Lauruial, flushing bright red from embarrassment, deftly avoided attention and questions, saying only that she had been off her game.

"The winner of the Trial of year 66 of the Fourth Age, Andunëthon Braglaglorion, Warrior of Eryn Lasgalen, one hundred and forty points!" King Thranduil announced that evening, to great applause. "Prince of Eryn Lasgalen!" Andunëthon stated his oath of fealty, and Thranduil and Aldariel blessed their grandson.

Legolas joined them on the dais, to gasps from the crowd. He wore a delicate circlet of mithril, a trapping of his position which he only wore when absolutely necessary.

Legolas knelt before his nephew, as Andunëthon would have turned to the crowd to bow.

"Prince Andunëthon," he began as long ago, Bragolaglor had done for him. "I, Crowned Prince Legolas of Eryn Lasgalen, present to you today your birthright. It has never been my intent to be heir to my father's throne, your grandfather's throne, indeed I never wanted the position at all, and you are now before me in the line of succession. As such, in accordance with our laws, it is my right to pass my crown to the next in line to the Throne, as you have now come of age, my nephew. Will you take this honour?"

Andunëthon visibly shook as he reached for the mithril crown held in his uncle's raised hands.

"Who is after me in the line of succession? Can't my sisters take it?"

Legolas chuckled. "They will not. Will you, son-of-my-heart?"

Andunëthon hesitated, then reached forward to grasp the crown, showing his acceptance.

Legolas rose, took the crown back, and placed it firmly and finally on the younger ellon's head. He breathed a sigh of relief, and the new Crown Prince bowed to the King, and then the gathered people.

Legolas stepped off the dais, only to be confronted by a fuming Gimli, closely followed by a starstruck Aragorn. "You never told us you're the Crown Prince!" Gimli exploded.

"Was," Legolas corrected mildly. "I'm not anymore. Didn't you see, Andunëthon is the Crown Prince now."

"In more than seventy years of friendship, you never once mentioned that little detail," Aragorn added, slightly miffed that he, too, had been left out. He had always assumed Bragolaglor to be the Crown Prince, as he was often doing duties in the King's place.

"Was I not introduced to you as such, in Imladris?" Legolas nonchalantly continued, while Gimli turned redder.

"No, you know full well you were not!"

Legolas laughed at his dear friend's bluster. "To be honest, it was nice to just be Legolas, not Prince Legolas, and definitely not Crown Prince Legolas," the elf confided. "Besides, now I am only Prince of Ithilien."

"No, you are still Prince of Eryn Lasgalen," Bragolaglor interrupted, having finished doting on his son. "As am I. There are no wars at the moment, though, so with any luck we shall not be called into that bloody title again."

"Bragolaglor," Aragorn asked curiously, "Are the duties any different between Princes and Crown Princes?"

"No," the old warrior replied. "Legolas and I are still ranked much higher in the army than Andunëthon, and either of us would lead the army in Thranduil's absence. It is only an empty title, designating on whose shoulders the realm falls, nominally, if the Elvenking were to fall."

"Why are you both so keen to avoid the title then?" Gimli asked.

"Spoken like a true Lord," Legolas and his brother-in-law laughed.

"It is much easier to do what you like without that title and that crown," Bragolaglor confided. "Legolas only managed that Ring Quest, and Ithilien, because he didn't give the nobles a choice."

Legolas shrugged guiltily. "I have always wanted to travel, see the world. I can't really do that, locked under that silly title."


End file.
